Years of experience not enough

By Monique Ebrington
DESPITE Graeme Wilkinson’s years of experience with the Country Fire Authority, nothing could prepare him and his wife Lesley for the fire that destroyed their Chum Creek home on Saturday 7 February.
With his knowledge of fires and with his bushfire plan at the ready, Mr Wilkinson says he felt confident about staying and defending the family home that day, but the fire just came too quickly.
“We were like everyone else, we had everything in place. But there was no news, no police and no CFA — it was just that fast, they were so busy with everyone else,” Mr Wilkinson said. “I watched the fire slowly coming over the ridge from the back of the house. I thought it’s going to be OK, I can handle this. And then the wind kicked up.”
The ferocity of the fire and the direction it came from was unexpected and threw off Mr Wilkinson and his fire plan.
He says as the flames came barrelling towards his house he decided that he and Lesley, who was waiting inside, needed to leave to survive. “It was a fire storm. I ran back into the house and yelled to Lesley to get the dog. No sooner had she closed the door behind her the house exploded. It shook the whole truck,” he said. “We only had one way to go. We had to go through the fire.”
Reversing their car through flames and smoke Mr Wilkinson says his only focus was to find an area that had already been burnt by the fire.
“You just had to put your foot down and hope there’s nothing there ,” he said.
The car’s windows had melted and began to bend in when 500 metres from their home Mr and Mrs Wilkinson found refuge in a burnt-out paddock.
Reflecting on their experience on Black Saturday, they now realise how lucky they were and are coming to terms with accepting help.
“The thing that is the most overwhelming is, yes, it has happened and, no, we’re not OK, but the overwhelming support in Healesville has been just unbelievable,” Mrs Wilkinson said.
Despite their harrowing experience the Wilkinsons are confident that they’ll rebuild in Chum Creek.
“When we walked through our gate and onto our property it was the oddest thing. It still felt like home,” Mrs Wilkinson said.
“It’s just a flat burnt wreckage, but to us it’s home.”